Amazing Features Of The Newly Released Richard Mille RM 38-02 Tourbillon Bubba Watson
In our last blog, we discussed how Bubba Watson got his pink watch. Let us recap it. Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Richard Mille and American golfer Bubba Watson partnered for the fourth time in May and released the RM 38-02 Tourbillon Bubba Watson. Bubba Watson had been asking Richard Mille for a pink watch since the start of their partnership ten years ago. He finally got it in the shape of RM 38-02 Tourbillon Bubba Watson.
Now that we have recapped how he got his pink watch let us take a look at what was taken into consideration when designing the RM 38-02.
What was considered when designing the RM 38-02Tourbillon Bubba Watson?
As we know by now, Bubba Watson is a golfer. Golf is a sport that requires physical strength and Bubba Watson is a powerful hitter of a golf ball. This proved to be an excellent challenge for Richard Mille as he had to design a watch that could resist the stresses of hard stops and drastic accelerations. Thus, it was taken into consideration that the watch must be able to resist the powerful shots of Bubba Watson and the forces of acceleration and deceleration that accompany the shots. The end result was a watch that could provide ultra-performance and withstand extreme conditions.
In our last blog about this watch, we summarized its functions and features. Today, we will be discussing this watch in depth. So without further ado, let us get started.
Movement:
The RM 38-02 Tourbillon Bubba Watson features Calibre RM 38-02, a manual winding tourbillon movement with hours and minutes. The caliber has a power reserve of circa 70 hours (± 10%), 21 jewels, and a frequency of 3 Hz. The movement has dimensions of 29.52 x 30.84 mm and a thickness of 9.19 mm. The tourbillon and the balance wheel are 10.90 mm and 9.12 mm in diameter, respectively.
The base plate is machined from Carbon TPT which is known for its excellent resistance to micro cracks and splits.
The bridges are made from grade 5 titanium which is PVD-treated. This enables the gear train to function effortlessly as it is a biocompatible, highly corrosion-resistant, and remarkably rigid alloy. Keeping in mind that a golf ball undergoes an acceleration of about 50,000 g’s, it was ensured that the RM 38-02 could withstand shocks of 10,000 g’s.
A free-sprung balance was utilized with variable inertia. This mechanism guarantees excellent reliability when subjected to shock and during assembling and disassembling the movement. The regulator index was omitted. Moreover, due to 4 small and adjustable screws on the balance, a more accurate and repeatable calibration is possible.
An optimal pressure angle of 20° is provided by the central involute profile of the winding-barrel teeth and pinion. This, in turn, promotes effective rotary motion and recompenses for possible variations in the engagement of the going train, hence, certifying excellent torque transmission with a noticeable improvement in performance.
Case:
The design and the way the watch has been executed shows an extensive conceptual approach to the case and dial, and as a result, everything has been constructed carefully to the specifications.
The bezel and case back are made from pink and white Quartz TPT, while the caseband combines Carbon TPT and pink Quartz TPT layers. The tripartite drawn-out case shape stops the torque-limiting crown from rubbing against the wrist of the wearer.
The case is water resistant to 50 m which is ensured by two Nitrile O-ring seals and assembled using 20 grade 5 titanium spline screws and abrasion-resistant washers in 316L stainless steel.
Torque-limiting crown:
The torque-limiting crown is a security system to prevent accidental overwinding of the watch, which can cause damage to the winding stern or place intense pressure on the barrel spring.
More Features
Fast-rotating barrel (6 hours per revolution):
This has two advantages:
- The phenomenon of periodic internal mainspring adhesion is greatly reduced, increasing performance.
- The Provision of an excellent mainspring delta curve with an ideal power reserve/performance and regularity ratio.
Barrel pawl with progressive recoil:
This device permits a good winding gain, around 20%, especially during the winding start. It also helps in evenly distributing the mainspring’s internal tension.
Spline screws in grade 5 titanium for the bridges and case:
This enables a much better control of the torque applied to screws during assembly. These screws are thus unaffected by physical manipulation during assembly, disassembly, and age well.
Conclusion:
The RM 38-02 Tourbillon is crafted with an extensive and conceptual approach. It is crafted carefully to the specifications allowing it to withstand the extreme conditions on the golf course. Apart from the countless technical features, the design, style, and color of the pink watch make it a piece of art.
